


Masks

by Shadowslayer1331



Series: Sliders: Another Path [2]
Category: Sliders (TV)
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27801733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowslayer1331/pseuds/Shadowslayer1331
Summary: After the professors death the Slider's are wracked with anger and grief, however they may have found a world to help them forget about all their troubles, even if they desperately don't want too. (Post Exodus, No Maggie)
Series: Sliders: Another Path [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034220
Comments: 20
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Important Notes:
> 
> This story follows the events of Sliders up to the episode The Exodus. However a few minor changes are made to the story of the Exodus.
> 
> -When sliding with Maggie, Quinn does not find Earth Prime  
> -Steven Jensen is not killed by Rickman  
> -The sliders, with Maggies help, stop Rickman on the next earth.  
> -Maggie does not join the Sliders
> 
> From there this story begins. I hope you all enjoy Masks!

Quinn watched in horror as Rickman pulled out his gun, the Professor quickly getting in front of him to shield him. He remembered the professor's death clearly, reaching out to try and make a difference this time around. Arturo died saving his life, but he couldn’t let it happen a second time. He tried to grab his arm and pull him away. He tried to step in front of him this time, but as he did the sound of the gunshot rang through the room, the Professor making a pained sound as he began to lose his balance.

No! Not again! He still had time to save him this time! Why did Rickman fire his weapon early? He should have died saving the professor, not the other way around!

As Arturo began to fall Quinn was quick to catch him, holding him in his arms as he slowly lowered him to the ground. The memories of the first time Arturo died coming to his mind. Why would he have to watch this a second time? Did fate wish to torture him?

“You failed me, Mr. Mallory” Arturo whispered, Quinn's eyes widening at the statement.

“I am lost because of you. Stolen from my home, my career, my family. I am forced to die on this random world so far from home because of your little science experiment gone wrong”

Arturo’s voice was filled with venom, hatred. Quinn felt tears form in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Professor” he whispered, not knowing what else to say. Arturo just watched him, his breathing labored.

“You killed me, Quinn Mallory”

* * *

Quinn gasped, jolting awake as he looked about the small hotel room. Reaching up to rub his eyes he felt moisture, quickly getting to his feet and going to the bathroom to clean himself up.

It had been a rough couple of days for all three of them. Roughly five days prior the group of sliders were forced to watch their friend, Professor Maximilian Arturo, die at the hands of Angus Rickman.

Thankfully they were able to stop Rickman on the next world with Maggie's help. Afterward, they held a small funeral, the three sliding together soon after to continue searching for home.

A home the professor would never see again because of him.

He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of those thoughts. The professor loved him, just as he loved Wade and Rembrandt. He knew that, yet still felt this was all his fault.

Leaving the bathroom he spotted Wade sitting awake, her own eyes filled with tears. She saw the professor as a father figure much like he did. So on that level, he understood her pain, but even understanding it didn't mean he knew how to fix it. He couldn't even fix himself.

Rembrandt pulled out the timer, sitting in his own corner of the room. He looked at it, then looked between the two of them. Quinn nodded to Remmy, going sit next to Wade as he rubbed her arm.

"It's time for the slide. Are you alright?" He asked gently.

Looking at him she wiped her eyes, shaking her head. "No, not really. I just miss him. His voice, his laugh, everything"

"I miss him too, Wade" he whispered.

"You know he loved you, right?" She asked softly, looking into his eyes.

He stared back, nodding slowly.

"Then stop blaming yourself for what happened. I know he didn't"

With a soft sigh, Quinn replied, "God I hope you're right"

* * *

As Quinn lifted himself from the pavement he turned, watching the swirling blue of the vortex with a hint of longing. Beside him stood Rembrandt and Wade, who were still collecting themselves after the harsh exit. 

He knew another person would not be exiting along with his friends, yet he watched for it anyway. He watched the swirl of the gateway, watched as the winds pushed aside loose papers and thrown away soda cans. Suddenly the winds slowed and the vortex closed, leaving the three friends alone.

Looking to the timer he saw they had little over two days on this earth. Slipping it into his jacket pocket he turned and left the scene of their most recent slide, still feeling a great disparity at not seeing Arturo exit the gateway alongside them.

It was a purely emotional response, Quinn knew this. He knew the professor would never slide with them again, and if anything that fact left a bitter taste in his mouth. No matter how hard he tried, things would never be the same without their professor.

After a quick look around they found themselves in the familiar city of San Francisco. While it was nice to see some semblance of home again it also brought them pain, thinking back on all the adventures they shared with Arturo.

Lost in memories Quinn didn't see the man sharply turn the corner, slamming into him and causing him to fall to the ground. Quickly Quinn looked down at him, offering his hand to help him up. He could see he spilled the man's coffee all over his chest.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see-"

Suddenly the man let out a high-pitched laugh, Quinn jolting back at the unexpected sound. The hot coffee should have burned him, yet Quinn watched as the man broke into a big smile, quickly getting back to his feet. Looking to his stained and still wet shirt the man let out another bark of laughter, soon looking over to Quinn.

"It's all good, my friend! You have a fantastic day, yeah?"

Patting him on the shoulder the man let out another chuckle, quickly walking away from the sliders. Quinn just watched the man leave, lost for words.

Everything about him seemed off in some way, unnatural. His smile felt artificial, his eyes glazed over as if he weren't completely aware. Being shoved to the ground and burned not only made him happy, but it also made him excited. He seemed to take great joy in what just transpired.

"What the hell was that?" Rembrandt asked aloud, looking between a confused Quinn and Wade.

"I don't know cryin man, something was seriously off about him" Quinn replied.

"Yeah, I'll say," Wade said, watching the direction the man left for a moment longer before turning to continue walking with the sliders.

As they walked through the familiar city a pit formed in the three sliders' stomachs. No longer distracted by memories with the professor they could see similar unnatural smiles plastered on the faces of every person they passed.

Occasionally the overly happy people would stop what they were doing to watch them, most eyes focused on Quinn. They could hear soft chuckles from the crowd as more and more people seemed to find an interest in them, causing the three to shudder and want to get off the streets as soon as possible.

As the three walked at a quicker pace they passed the graveyard, their eyes turning to take in a funeral. They saw a casket being lowered into the ground, the surrounding family and friends watching with broad smiles. A small child in the group burst out in heavy laughter, looking at the picture of the middle-aged woman that sat nearby.

"What the hell is wrong with this world?" Rembrandt muttered under his breath, loud enough for Quinn and Wade to hear.

"Are they laughing at her death?" Wade whispered.

What disturbed Quinn the most was not the laughter coming from the small boy, it was the moisture in his eyes. It looked like he wanted to break down, but instead, he laughed. One of the older men in the group knelt down, offering the child a small pill. The child took it, swallowing it, and hugged the older man.

As the people at the funeral turned to stare at them with the same strange smiles as everyone else the sliders had enough. They practically ran to the Dominion hotel from there, the man behind the counter looking to the three of them with a large grin as they entered.

"Oh good, more guests, Welcome!" He yelled, slammed his hands on the counter in excitement. Quinn jumped a little at the sound but otherwise, the sliders showed little outside reaction to the strange actions.

"Hey my man, we need a room" Rembrandt replied with a more natural-looking smile of his own, hiding his inner discomfort.

"Certainly!"

The sliders watched in silence as he turned to get a key, walking over and returning to offer it to Quinn. As he took them he saw the already unnatural smile grow on the clerk's face, causing him to look nearly psychotic. Quinn yanked his hand and the key away, eyes locked with the overly happy clerk.

"Is something wrong? You don't seem to be happy" the clerk asked with a chuckle.

"We lost a family member recently" Rembrandt informed him, a small frown appearing on his features.

"That doesn't explain why you seem to be unhappy. Why would a family member's death bother you?" the clerk asked, watching the three with interest.

What in God's name was happening here?!

"It uh, it just does" Quinn mumbled out, unsure how to even respond to such a question.

The hotel clerk continued to watch them, Quinn nervously looking between his friends as he quickly began walking away, not even bothering to ask why he hadn't asked them for payment.

It was already hard to focus, with his mind constantly going back to the professor. What would he think of this world? Would he have a theory about what was going on here? Shaking his head of the thoughts he opened the door to the hotel room and entered, trying to figure out how he and his friends would survive on this world for two more days.


	2. Chapter 2

As Quinn read the sentence for the fifth time he felt his already tight grip on the book increase, the pages tearing and bending as he found little ability to control his burning rage. The quiet room was soon overtaken by the ringing in his ears. His chest hurt, a pressure forming as his heartbeat increased. Knuckles white he knew he needed to calm down, but overall he found he just didn't care anymore.

The sliders remained in the hotel room for a few hours, agreeing to only leave for food. Quinn however told the others he would stop by the library to see if he could learn why this world was so strange.

Looking down at the now damaged book in his hands Quinn once again read the passage that brought him nothing but pain and anger.

**They found these anti-cancer medications to be a resounding success. By late 1990 all forms of cancer were treatable with these simple pills, only needing to be taken once to clear the body.**

This world found a simple cure for cancer. Not only that but this world found cures for many other diseases his homeworld and other worlds could not cure. This world was light years ahead in medical knowledge and application. 

This world could have cured the professor.

As that thought ran through his mind again Quinn found he was at his limit. In his anger he threw the book across the room, the already damaged book slamming into the wall and falling to the floor.

He screamed, not caring who heard it. He knew he was in a library, but despite this he let out all of his anger, grief, and pain.

He slammed his fists against the table, tears falling from his eyes and splashing against them. Vision blurred, he wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. Had the professor lived for just a few more slides he would have been cured.

"Just how cruel are you?!" Quinn yelled, several of the library patrons still watching him from his previous outburst.

"You take my father, you take my home, you leave my mother alone, and now you take another father from me only to taunt me, to rub in my face how I could have saved him!?"

He was nothing but a failure. He continued to fail to get his friends home. He failed to save the professor from his illness. He failed to save him from Rickman. He failed. Failed. Failed.

Tears still falling for his eyes Quinn turned to face the patrons staring his way. They all watched him, eerie smiles plastered on their faces. Some on their phones, speaking in hushed tones as they giggled.

He felt his blood pressure rise at these reactions. Were they laughing at him? Were they taking pleasure in his misery? His shoulders shook as he fought to reign in his emotions. Closing his eyes he took several deep breaths, the pain in his chest and swirling in his mind refusing to subside.

His mind went into overdrive, undesirable and terrifying thoughts forcing their way to the forefront of his mind. What if something happened to Wade or Rembrandt? What if he never found home, or something happened to the timer? What if something happened to him, leaving Wade and Rembrandt alone on their journey?

His previous deep breathing turned into shallow gasping, his hand squeezing his chest as he struggled to collect the air he so desperately needed. What if the Kromaggs found Earth prime? What if they pulled someone else into their journey, only to lead them to ruin? What if they inadvertently caused deaths or despair on worlds they thought they saved?

He brought his friends into this dangerous situation, all because he wanted to test his timer and take a spin around the multiverse. Slowly he managed to breathe normally again, his thoughts coming to focus on protecting Wade and Rembrandt. They needed him as much as he needed them. He would die to protect them if that was the cost to get them home.

Slowly he opened his eyes, spotting two security guards enter the room, batons in hand as they quickly began to approach him. They held large wicked smiles upon their faces as if the idea of beating him brought them great pleasure.

Seeing their weapons drawn was reason enough for Quinn to turn and rush for the back exit. He didn't believe his actions warranted batons, but then again he couldn't comprehend anything about this world so far.

As he opened the back exit he felt a pain in his stomach, falling to his knees as the wind was knocked out of him. The security guard positioned behind the rear exit door let out a satisfied laugh, bringing the baton down hard onto Quinn's back.

As he fell to the ground the guard let out another crazed laugh, kneeling next to him and giggling into his ear.

"Worry not, friend. We will get you your medicine. Soon you will forget your troubles and be happy!"

Before he could think of a response he felt his hands being cuffed behind his back, the group of security guards forcing him to his feet and pushing him out the exit.

* * *

As Rembrandt stared out the window of the hotel room he couldn't help but worry about Quinn. He had been gone for two hours now, much longer than it should normally take to make a small visit to the library and find something to eat.

Did something go wrong? Was this world more dangerous than they expected? It wouldn't be the first time.

He wanted to voice his worries to Wade, but she was already carrying a heavy burden with the professor's death. Only an hour ago she finally fell asleep, probably passing out due to exhaustion. No, he wouldn't wake her and add the unneeded stress onto her shoulders.

His thoughts returned to the professor, remembering the many adventures they shared together. While Quinn and Wade seemed to love him as a father, Rembrandt grew to love him as a brother. It was hard to get past the professor's outer shell, but he eventually let them all in and it was something Rembrandt would be eternally grateful for.

Looking back to Wade he made his decision. He would go out to try and find Quinn, then he would come back to Wade. There wouldn't be any more losses to his small family.

Setting the timer down on the nightstand next to Wade he turned for the exit, startled as an unexpected knock came to the door. Who could possibly know they were here besides Quinn? If it were Q-ball he would just walk in, he had a key.

Slowly opening the door Rembrandt froze, eyes wide as he stared at the figure in front of him. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. His heart ached, tears coming to his eyes as he took in the shape of the man standing in the doorway.

His throat felt raw, unable to mutter words he wiped at his eyes, refusing to believe what he was seeing. Yet as he opened his eyes once more the man still stood there, watching him with a look of great joy and relief. His smile was natural, very different from the eerie smiles everyone else gave him.

As the man spoke it brought a smile to his lips. Oh, how he missed that voice.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Brown."


	3. Chapter 3

Quinn sat, eyes wandering and taking in the small interrogation room he currently occupied. Besides the chair in which he sat and the table sitting in front of him there wasn't much to the room. The walls were barren, no hanging decor present. Across from him there sat a one way window, his own reflection looking back at him. The lights above were far too bright, hurting his eyes if he kept them open for too long.

After his arrest he had been brought to the police station, his right hand cuffed to the table as he sat in this uncomfortable metal chair. He remembered the police chief saying he was a special case, that the lead scientist should be called immediately. Whoever this lead scientist was he certainly didn't care to meet them, not that he had much of a choice.

He hoped that elsewhere in the city Rembrandt and Wade realized he needed them. If something happened to him first, he hoped they would go on without him to find home.

The only door to the room opening interrupted his thoughts, his eyes zeroing in on the people walking inside. First came two police officers, their faces contorted with the unnatural smiles he became accustomed to seeing on this earth.

As the third figure entered the room clad in a grey suit and red bowtie Quinn felt the oxygen leave his lungs. His heart raced as he looked at the face of the father figure he lost back on pulsar world.

It would seem that the multiverse was indeed a cruel bitch after all.

"Quinn Mallory" Arturo's double almost whispered, his voice filled with venom. He stepped closer, looking down at Quinn with contempt before pulling out the chair opposite of him and taking a seat.

The professor's double lacked the unnatural smile, instead watching him with an annoyed frown. Quinn leaned forward, eyes fixated on Arturo's face. Despite the situation, it felt good to see him again. Though he did wonder why this world's professor seemed more normal than the others around him.

Despite looking identical Quinn could see the difference between them immediately. His Arturo regarded him with love and companionship while this Arturo looked as if he wanted to squash him like a bothersome insect.

"What the devil are you looking at?" Arturo growled, causing Quinn to look away as he blinked the moisture from his eyes. No matter how badly he wished it this was not his professor, nor would it ever be.

"Sorry," Quinn replied, voice strained due to his dry throat, "could you tell me why I'm here?"

The contempt on Arturo's face grew into anger as he slammed his hands on the table, Quinn jumping from the unexpected reaction. Leaning closer he pointed a finger at him, responding to the question with barely contained rage.

"Do not try and make a fool of me, Mallory! Cut the clueless act and tell us where your friends are hiding!”

His friends? Did this Arturo mean Rembrandt and Wade? Or, more likely, did this Arturo mix him up with his double? Quinn didn't want to irritate him more than he had to but knew he wouldn't learn anything without asking questions.

"Which friends are you talking about?" Quinn asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Your purist friends, you degenerate!" Arturo yelled, eyes narrowed as he made a hand gesture. One of the officers giggled, walking over and placing a syringe containing a clear liquid on the table next to the professor's double.

Quinn swallowed, looking to the liquid inside the syringe, then back to the double. Purist friends? He most certainly did get mixed up with his double, it seemed.

"Look, professor, I know this may sound crazy but I'm not your Quinn. You're mixing me up with my double, the Quinn who grew up on this earth. You see I come from a parallel earth-"

"That's enough! I will not be subjected to this nonsense another second!" Arturo yelled, cutting Quinn off as he grabbed the syringe.

"I see we will have to use this to get answers out of you. And if for whatever reason you don’t work out there's always your purist friends back at the hotel"

Back at the hotel...No!

Quinn began to struggle, the two guards grabbing his arm and holding it still as this world's Arturo walked over, sticking the needle in and injecting Quinn with the unknown liquid.

"No, stop! Don't hurt them! They have nothing to do with this, just let them leave!" Quinn yelled, trying desperately to say anything that could save Rembrandt or Wade from a fate like his.

"Nothing to do with this? They are purists like you, Mallory! There are plenty of reasons not to let them go" Arturo hissed, throwing the empty syringe onto the table and sitting across from Quinn once more.

He wanted to escape, to save Wade and Rembrandt, to get away from this monster wearing the professor's face. He wanted so many things within that moment, but after a few deep breaths, he began to realize just how trivial all those things were.

Wade and Rembrandt would be fine. Even if they weren't, who cares? Everyone dies eventually, just like the professor and his father. He chuckled at the memory. He looked at Arturo's double, a big smile coming to his face.

"Now perhaps we will start getting somewhere," Arturo said with a grin, Quinn laughing as the officers approached and uncuffed him.

Moving his now free arm Quinn felt something in the back of his mind. Something screaming at him to fight back or flee, but he brushed it off rather quickly. Who cared about all that. He would be more than happy to answer any questions the professor had for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Wade groaned, her tired eyes slowly opening as she felt someone shaking her awake. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck, closing her eyes tighter as she tried to shoo the hands away.

Sleep had been fleeting the last couple of days, images of the professor's face contorted in pain filling her eyes as she closed them during the night. Eventually exhaustion overtook her, but it seemed she was destined to be awakened far too soon for her liking, forced to face the horrible truths of life once more rather than the comfortable nothingness of sleep.

"Wade! Wake up, girl, you're not gonna believe this!" Rembrandt said, his voice filled with joy, sounding almost excited even. With everything that happened recently, it shocked her to hear him sound like that. Her curiosity peaked, she slowly sat up in bed, the sleep from her mind clearing instantly as her eyes landed on the one person in the room she did not expect to see.

Her mouth opened, then closed as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Still, he stood there, smiling at her with that kind, loving smile he always gave her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but she also knew it couldn't possibly be what she so desperately wished it to be.

"Are you a double?" She asked, voice raw with emotion as she addressed the man standing at the foot of her bed. It was the only logical conclusion she could come up with. Perhaps he was the double of this earth or a sliding double. Did that mean he had his own Quinn, Wade, and Rembrandt with him? A quick look around the room showed that if he did they weren't currently together.

"No, my child, I am not. I am in fact your Arturo. The one you mistakenly left behind on the earth with the Azure gate bridge" the professor replied gently, still smiling as he watched her. Looking at his face she could see the walls he normally held up so tightly were down. He watched them, both her and Rembrandt with extremely evident love.

As the words registered in her brain, she felt her heart hammer in her chest. If what he said was true then that meant they took his double, this was the professor they began the journey with. He was alive, her professor was alive!

She let out a loud joyful sob, covering her mouth with her hands as she felt a fresh set of tears fall from her eyes. However, for the first time in these last five days the tears were not of sorrow, but of unimaginable happiness. She never thought something like this could be possible, yet here he stood.

"How did you find us?" Wade asked, sniffing softly and wiping at her eyes once more.

She'd been sliding long enough to know the impossibility of this reunion. Somehow without a timer or any idea where they were in the vast multiverse her professor found them. It seemed fishy, too good to be true.

Yet despite knowing this, despite her brain telling her not to allow this potentially false hope into her heart, she did. She waited, fully willing to hear the professor's story. If anyone could find them again it would be the professor or Quinn.

Reaching into his jacket pocket Arturo pulled out his own timer.

"After I was inadvertently left stranded on that world I realized I had to figure out a way to find you. I explained my situation to the Mrs. Mallory of that world and she was kind enough to allow me the usage of her son's basement. Using his sliding equipment I began work on my own timer"

As he spoke he offered the device to her, Wade reaching out and taking it. Looking at it she could see similarities between this timer and Quinn's original, however, it did seem to have some minor changes, such as a small readout for twelve-digit numbers.

"After a month of slow and steady progress, I was greeted by a pleasant surprise. The three sliders of that world made it home at long last. When the Mr. Mallory of that world learned of my predicament he agreed to assist me. He offered me his personal timer but insisted I remain on his world until we could perfect a way to track you down. Admittedly the possibility of finding you otherwise would be astronomical!"

Still seeing the redness in her eyes he stepped closer, sitting on the bed next to her and taking one of her hands within his own. Wade smiled at the open gesture of love, giving his hand a squeeze. An action he returned almost immediately.

"We did it, Ms. Welles. Together we discovered a way to find the three of you. You see this here?"

As he asked this he pointed to the small twelve-digit readout, nodding she looked to it and back to him. With a smile, he took the timer from her. Pointing it at her he pressed a button, the timer coming to life as he did. Turning it so she could see, she saw there was now something written on the readout screen.

**323.935.914.395**

"This is your Quantum Signature, Ms. Welles. It is a signature you share with Mr. Mallory, Mr. Brown, and myself. You see, every piece of matter within a universe has its own Quantum Signature. Think of it like a fingerprint to a specific universe. Using this knowledge the Mr. Mallory of that world and I managed to create what we call the Quantum Scanner. Using it I can scan the multiverse for any objects or people who share my Quantum Signature."

"Meaning, you can scan the multiverse for home" Rembrandt replied from the side, clapping his hands together as he smiled.

"I can indeed, Mr. Brown. However, we should not go home immediately" Arturo replied, turning to look at Rembrandt. The look he gave made the singer's smile drop, his face shifting to one of concern.

"Why not? What's going on professor?" He replied, unsure what could cause the professor to wait.

"When we scanned for your signature's we found an anomaly within Mr. Mallory. Naturally, we programmed the scanner to avoid detecting things such as clothing, seeing as what you are wearing would undoubtedly have a different Quantum Signature. However, despite this Mr. Mallory gave back two completely different Quantum Signatures! The first matches our own, the second however proved to be quite the puzzle"

"How is that possible?" Wade asked, her blood turning to ice as the professor looked at her. His look alone spoke of both terror and rage.

"I do not know for certain, but after much research, we learned the source of the second signature, which in turn helped me formulate a theory. Firstly, we learned that the second signature came from inside Mr. Mallory"

“Inside,” Rembrandt repeated, “As in, Inside his body?”

“Correct, Mr. Brown. Furthermore, once we learned where it was located we simply had to learn its source universe. Once I discovered the source universe I realized what it must be, it is something we must remove before we ever attempt to return home”

The professor’s voice was stern, turning to each of them as he spoke.

“The second Signature is Kromagg in origin. I believe a tracker must have been implanted somewhere within Mr. Mallory's body during our capture. If my theory is correct and we return home now, we may bring with us nothing but ruin”


	5. Chapter 5

"That sniveling purist degenerate!" Arturo's double yelled, slamming the door behind him with rage as he exited the interrogation room.

He didn't know how but Mallory was able to lie despite being injected with his drug. Oh, he still felt the effects, yet when interrogated about the location of his purist friends he spouted nothing but nonsense of parallel earths and 'sliding'.

How was he both affected yet unaffected by the drug? He'd never seen a case like this before. Perhaps he and his purist friends found a way to counteract the drug. If that was the case he needed to squash these insects here and now.

"You," Arturo bellowed, calling over one of the many smiling police officers, "collect your partner and go to the Dominion hotel. Arrest the two purists reported being seen with Mallory and bring them here for interrogation. Ready the drug for each of them. Leave Mallory without, he shall be executed tomorrow with complete control of his faculties. I want to hear him beg!"

* * *

Crawling out of bed and snatching the Egyptian timer Remmy previously left on the nightstand, Wade quickly got dressed and joined her two friends by the door to their hotel room. As soon as she learned how long Quinn had been away she jumped at the idea of going look for him.

She was terrified, having only just gotten the professor back only to learn Quinn may now be in trouble. The first semblance of joy she felt in over five days had been trampled on.

In truth, despite the unimaginable joy she felt at the professor's sudden return she still felt sorrow at his double's death. While their friendship had been built on lies he still protected them, supported them, became part of the family. In the end he even sacrificed himself for Quinn.

While he may never fill the large portion of her heart her original professor filled, he certainly had his own spot. He would be forever missed, and loved. She was certain Rembrandt felt the same.

"How long has he been missing?" Arturo asked, the concern clear in his voice.

"He left to visit the library to learn more about this world and find something for us to eat. When you first showed up it had been two hours. With how strange this world is I was concerned something went wrong." Rembrandt replied.

"Quite right, Mr. Brown. He should've returned by now, especially if the three of you agreed to a specific time table. I say we start at the library, seeing as it's his last known location" Arturo replied, reaching for the handle as the door suddenly swung open, causing the Englishman to quickly step back out of its range.

To the surprise of the three friends, two policemen, each wielding a baton and wearing sinister smiles on their faces entered the room. As their eyes focused on the professor they quickly lowered their weapons.

"Dr. Arturo? I thought you wanted us to arrest these purists. What are you doing here? How did you beat us here?" One of the officers asked, his smile growing as he looked back at Wade and Rembrandt as if the idea of hurting them made him excited.

Arturo looked to his friends, then to the officer who addressed him. Mind racing as he tried to come up with a response, having so little information on the situation.

Putting together what he could from that sentence alone he realized that his double had command of at least these two police officers. He ordered them to arrest Wade and Rembrandt, referring to them as purists. Naturally, if the police were here to arrest them purists were considered a bad thing. His double was also a doctor, though why they would follow the commands of a doctor was beyond him.

"Yes, yes, Of course I did!" Arturo replied, putting on a fake smile as he tried to come up with a plausible response.

If Rembrandt and Wade were considered purists then they must be part of a group. Either that or purist was some sort of slang or curse word specific to this earth. Either way he decided how he would respond, he would fish for more information while simultaneously playing it off as if he were sharing some great discovery he wanted the officer to figure out on his own. His double's apparent authority over these two officers should make this considerably easier.

"After I sent you away I came up with a theory about these purists that I would like to test out personally. I rushed over here as soon as it occurred to me."

"Oh? Don't leave me hanging doctor, tell me" the officer replied with excitement.

"Why the answer is right in front of you, my boy! Tell me what you know so far, put the pieces of this puzzle together"

The officer blinked, trying to run through everything he knew in his mind, but unsure what direction the professor was trying to point him in. Despite this, he continued to smile that unnatural smile.

"Well, I know ever since your drug began distribution small resistance groups have spread across the US, referring to themselves as purists because they refused the new laws requiring all US citizens to take the drug. Quinn Mallory, who we now have in custody, is this cities purists group leader. The drug did not seem to work on Mallory as intended and now you wish to execute him."

Rembrandt and Wade's faces morphed into looks of horror. Arturo managed to hold his smile, but not without considerable effort. Wade could see the fear in his eyes clear as day and she hoped the cops in the room couldn't read him as well as she could.

"Quite right. We already have everything we need to find and bring these purists to justice." Arturo said voice laced with false confidence.

"I'm sorry doctor, I don't follow." the officer replied.

Despite his earlier fear at learning the danger his prized pupil currently faced he felt confident in his ability to save him. With a much clearer picture he had a plan. He just had to hope they wouldn't run into his double.

"I do not have time to explain now, but you will understand soon. We need Quinn, the sooner the better. Bring us to him, quickly!"

* * *

Sixteen year old April Collins was exhausted, and that exhaustion now cost her everything. When Dr. Arturo's drug first became mandatory, she and her family refused to take it, referring to their legal rights as American citizens. However, that did little to stop the police from forcing the injections on her parents as soon as they were notified.

The unnatural smiles, the constant happiness despite how fucked up this world was because of it. She was terrified of it all, of the way this drug would fuck with her brain and leave her an obedient, overly happy shell of her former self.

She lied, naturally, telling her parents she received the injection at her school so they wouldn't be suspicious of her. From there she would pretend to take the pills, secretly flushing them or throwing them down the drain.

This of course put a massive strain on her. She no longer had her parents as a support system. They were corrupted, drugged, and empty. They would turn on her in an instant if they knew the truth.

Not only did she feel alone, surrounded by familiar faces that wouldn't hesitate to hurt her. No, she had to constantly smile. She had to laugh, to giggle, to pretend to be happy every second of every day. She couldn't even sob at night, when she was alone, in fear her parents may walk in or overhear.

She wanted to join the resistance, but where were they hidden? She had no idea where to look, nowhere to go, forced to live in this hell every day of her life. It broke her, shattered what little sanity she had left after everything that was taken from her.

Then she watched her grandmother die. She died laughing, surrounded by a family who laughed along with her. She was forced to laugh, laugh as the grandmother she grew so close to left her forever. Because of that damned drug she couldn't say goodbye, couldn't cry. But then again, perhaps she lost her grandmother long ago.

Unable to hold her mask up any longer she broke down, anxiety clawing at her mind. She couldn't breathe, couldn't focus as her mother watched her. She didn't rush over, didn't ask if she was okay or try to console her. No, her mother laughed. She laughed as her daughter had a complete breakdown before her.

"I see someone's been skipping on her medication. Don't worry, Hunny, I'll go get them. Just wait here and behave yourself" her mother giggled, walking upstairs and into the bathroom.

With eyes still moist she ran, swung open the front door, and ran. She knew she was caught, knew no matter where she went she would eventually become one of them. But if she could survive for just a few more hours she would. She would not go down without a fight.

So focused on her thoughts she slammed hard into another person, falling to the ground. Looking up, tears still falling down her cheeks she had to stifle the gasp of terror that threatened to escape her lips. He looked down at her, his eyes burrowing into her very soul.

She never expected to meet the devil in person, yet here he stood. The man who stole her life from her, the man who stole her family and friends. The man who brought nothing but ruin to this world.

There standing above her was none other than Dr. Maximillian Arturo.


	6. Chapter 6

Quinn turned his gaze to the sound of his cell door opening, spotting two police officers throwing a young woman inside rather harshly. He recognized her almost immediately, rubbing his eyes to ensure he wasn't seeing things.

"Daelin?" He asked voice laced with an overabundance of joy. She looked surprised, then horrified as she turned to face him from her spot on the floor. The officers outside the cell only chuckled, locking them both inside as Arturo's double hovered behind the bars.

"As you can see, Richard's, we have the both of you in our custody now. Not that it seems to bother Mallory all that much" Arturo taunted, grinning as tears began to form in Daelins eyes.

"What have you done to him?" She shrieked, grabbing Quinn by the arms and giving him a look filled with terror.

"The same thing that will soon happen to you, Richard's. You and the rest of the filthy purists plaguing this city" He replied, venom seeping through his words.

Daelin turned to Arturo with a look of rage, one that grew as Quinn let out a soft chuckle. How dare he force his poison on him. He had no right to force his drug on anyone, but targeting Quinn stung her much harsher than it ever had before.

"Why not just use your poison on me now? Why make me wait?" She spat, knowing full well under normal circumstances he would already be interrogating her for the resistance's location, threatening her with his drug.

The smile on Arturo's face shifted into a frown. He leaned closer to the bars, eyeing them both with a look of pure hatred.

"You and Mallory have been a thorn in my side for far too long now. Even going so far as to learn some way to lie while drugged. I am not a fool, Richard's, I know it will not work properly. But just you wait, once the other two purists are collected the five of us will be having a long overdue conversation"

Daelin stilled at that, fighting to hide the surprise she felt. They hadn't learned a way to lie while under the drug, so what was Arturo talking about? Had Quinn lied during his interrogation? How was that even possible?

"Sit tight and enjoy your boyfriend's company. I'm sure he's ecstatic to see you again"

As he said this a sick smile came back to his lips. She understood what was happening now. He was taunting her, torturing her by forcing her to see her lover as his puppet. It wasn't to make a point or to try and divulge information from her. He simply enjoyed watching how much this tore her heart to shreds.

She tried to hide how much Quinn's artificial smile crushed her, but the tears still fell from her eyes. She pulled him into a hug, squeezing her eyes shut as she struggled to imagine they were anywhere else. Not trapped by the monster that watched them from outside the bars. Not poisoned by his self proclaimed medicines. They were together, back with the resistance.

They sat this way for a while, but it all shattered as Quinn laughed that god awful laughter she heard from everyone she passed on the streets. Opening her eyes she released him, surprised to see Arturo and the police officers left them alone.

"I'm not your Quinn"

That caused her to turn her head sharply, eyes wide as he smiled at her.

"Your Quinn is a good person I'm sure. But me? I stole my friends from their homes, from their families. I left my mother alone after she already lost my father. I let the professor die!"

He screamed the last part, tears forming in his own eyes as his unnatural smile faltered for a moment, only for him to begin laughing hysterically. The tears were a clear sign the effects of the drug were beginning to waver.

"I invented a device called the timer, which allows me to open gateways to parallel Earths. But I messed up, in my haste I got us lost. I can't find Earth prime, Daelin! I can't get them home! I keep promising that I will get them home, but I can't!"

He laughed, covering his moist eyes with his hands as he shook. She watched him, shocked that this wasn't her Quinn, and horrified at his condition. If he was telling her this while drugged he clearly believed it to be the truth himself, even if the effects of said drug seemed to be wearing off. She could only assume Arturo used a small dosage on him, perhaps to taunt him when he was lucid once more, believing he would divulge where the resistance was located.

Had he told her this under any other circumstances she might not have believed him. Who would believe such an outlandish story? But she couldn't deny it now. There was no known way to lie under Arturo's drug. It also explained why Arturo thought they learned a way to lie. If this Quinn came from another Earth he wouldn't know anything about their resistance group. He would just tell him about his adventures.

"I always have to be strong. I'm the one who put them in this mess, they count on me to fix it. They look to me for support, for guidance, and I can't give it to them. I couldn't save the professor. I can't find home. I can't do anything! I'm useless, Daelin!"

Her heart broke for him. He blamed himself for a lot of things, including the death of someone close to him. The professor, he called him. She didn't know much about this Quinn or his travel companions but she wanted to help him somehow. While she would help anyone who needed her like this, he shared the face of her lover. Even if this wasn’t her Quinn that stinging in her heart felt all the same. She reached out, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"He was like a father to me," Quinn said with a laugh, though it was much weaker than his previous ones. He buried his face into her shoulder as she held him, "Oh god, I'm so sorry professor! I really tried, I did! I'm sorry I failed you! I'm sorry I didn't get you home!"

* * *

Arturo eyed the San Francisco police station as the officer driving came to a complete stop. Somewhere inside Quinn desperately needed their help. Not only that, his own nefarious double was likely inside. This rescue was going to be high risk, but the four of them escaped much worse in the past.

"You will escort us to Quinn. The sooner we collect him the sooner we can bring these purists to justice"

* * *

"Open the door, now!"

Upon hearing his familiar voice Daelin opened her eyes, looking up from her seated position on the floor to the cell door currently being unlocked.

She saw her Quinn, gun in hand, forcing a police officer to open the cell. Behind them, two other resistance members held their guns at the ready, prepared to follow Quinn's lead if anything went awry. Despite the potential life threatening situation, the police officer still held a brilliant smile.

As the cell door opened Quinn slammed the butt of his weapon against the back of her neck, the young officer falling to the ground unconscious.

"Daelin!" He yelled, rushing in and helping her to her feet. His eyes drifted to the unconscious Mallory laying in the nearby cot, his face shifting to one of shock.

"What the hell is-"

"He comes from a parallel earth" Daelin cut him off, taking her Quinns hand and drawing his attention back to her, "I got him to talk to me, to explain what's going on. He was drugged so I know what he said was the truth. He invented a device that allowed him and his friends to travel between dimensions. They call it Sliding"

"Sliding?"

He turned from her, once more looking to his unconscious double in disbelief. The two of them could be twins if Quinn didn’t already know he had no siblings.

"We can't leave him here, regardless of where he came from or who he is. I will not have a man die for me, not if I can help it. If he was drugged then he will be out cold for a few hours. Isaac, Elliot, I need the two of you to carry him back for us. Daelin and I will provide cover. I hope we can get out of here without bloodshed."

With a nod between each of them, Quinn holstered his weapon and took both of theirs. Offering one to Daelin the two took the lead, the two behind them working together to carry Quinn Prime and follow after them.

As they exited the holding cells and back into the hallway they all froze in place, Daelin and Quinn's double raising their weapons as five new figures entered the hallway from the other side. Just as quickly, the two officers leading Arturo and two unknown others raised their guns, giggling as they found themselves in a standoff.

Of all the times for Arturo to show up, why did it have to be now?!

To her surprise she saw Arturo and the other man in the group nod at each other, both stepping closer to the police officers and taking a swing from behind, their fists colliding with the officers' temples. Both fell to the ground, their weapons slipping from their grips and clattering to the floor.

Turning to face them Arturo raised his hands, stepping forward and looking beyond them, to the unconscious Quinn for a moment, before turning his attention to the two currently pointing guns at him.

“Now I know this may be hard to believe but please, we do not have much time. My name is Maximillian Arturo. I am a professor of Cosmology and Ontology at the University of California. I am not the Arturo of this world, behind me are my travel companions Rembrandt Brown and Wade Welles. In the arms of your friends behind you is my friend Quinn, who was recently arrested and believed to be you, Mr. Mallory”

The last part was addressed to Quinns double, Arturo looking at him as he spoke. Quinns double lowered the weapon slightly, his eyes moving to look over at Daelin, while also keeping Arturo in his line of sight. Daelin hesitated as well, still holding her weapon steady as she recalled the information Quinn gave her while drugged.

“Professor? Quinn told me about you, he said you died. He cried to me, told me he regretted never getting you home, and that you were like a father to him”

Arturo’s emotions shown clearly on his face. It shifted from a look of concern to a small smile as she mentioned Quinn seeing him as a father. However, the concern came back shortly after, probably due to not only his Quinn’s condition but also the situation at hand.

“He believes I died, yes. Roughly nine months ago my friends and I landed on a world where we thought we were home. It turned out to be a close duplicate and my double tried to steal the credit for Mr. Mallory’s invention, unethical slime. We had an altercation and my friends mistakenly took my double along with them during the slide. I only recently found them with the help of Mr. Mallory’s double. It would seem my double died on a world destined to be destroyed by a pulsar, saving Mr. Mallory’s life”

“It’s true, he proved it to both of us,” Wade said, stepping forward slowly to stand next to the professor.

“We came here to save our Quinn,” Rembrandt said, following her lead and standing at the professor's other side.

Daelin lowered her weapon, putting her hand over Quinn’s and pushing his down as well. He complied, looking torn but trusting his lover's judgment.

“Do you have the timer?” She asked, watching them carefully.

“We do. I must reach into my pocket to show you, as will Ms. Welles. We are not reaching for weapons” Arturo replied, nodding to Wade as he slowly pulled out his converted Motorola MicroTAC Ultra-Lite cellular flip phone timer. Likewise, Wade pulled out her Egyptian timer.

They both held out the timers, letting Quinn and Daelin see the numbers slowly counting down. Hesitantly Daelin nodded, the two pocketing their respective timers.

“We can talk more once we get out of here. Every second wasted is another chance we can get caught. Let's go”

* * *

The large group took a back exit from the station, turning down an alleyway and coming up to a large van. After placing Quinn inside the resistance members began to enter, Arturo planning to climb in the back next to Quinn and his friends.

As he moved to do so he felt someone run into his back, turning to face a terrified looking young woman. She had tears running down her cheeks, her eyes alit with fear as she looked up at him. She began to crawl away, her back slamming against another car as he stared down at her.

His first instinct was to rush to her side, however, he pushed that down. He was obviously the cause of her fear, likely being confused for his much crueler double. Instead, he put his hands up in a nonthreatening manner, stepping further away to give her room.

"Madam, I assure you, I have no intention of harming you"

Wade and Quinn's double both jumped out of the van moments later, rushing to the young girl's side.

"You're not drugged" Quinn whispered, looking her over more closely. As she spotted him, her previous fear gave way to confusion, looking between him and Arturo.

Wade smiled, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder. She turned to face her, swallowing nervously.

"That isn't who you think it is. You're safe, I promise. My name is Wade, what's yours?"

"April" she replied in a whisper, looking between the three of them now, unsure what to make of this situation, "I pretended to take the drugs to throw off my parents. But I couldn't handle it anymore. My mom saw me break down"

With a comforting smile Quinn offered his hand to her, one she slowly took as he began to help her to her feet.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore. My name is Quinn Mallory. Welcome to the resistance"


	7. Chapter 7

Quinn's eyes snapped open, his head pounding and his throat dry. He attempted to move, only to realize how weak he felt. His limbs were heavy, the room spinning if he attempted to move too quickly. Hearing movement to his left he turned his head, his focus immediately landing on the figure sitting beside his bed. She likewise spotted him, a smile gracing her features as she moved closer.

“Oh thank god you're alright” Wade whispered, “Don’t worry, you're safe now. How much do you remember?”

Swallowing hard Quinn thought back, finding it difficult to concentrate with this headache.

“I was arrested and interrogated by this world's Arturo. He’s looking for some group he calls purists. I don’t remember much of anything after he forced his drugs on me, besides meeting Daelin. But the meeting is mostly foggy” Quinn replied, spotting Rembrandt sitting not far behind Wade.

"Yeah, your double filled us in on what's going on. Apparently, the professor's double on this world created a new drug in the hopes of treating depression. When the government learned that the drug not only left the people overly happy but obedient, they made the drug mandatory" Wade said, reaching over and brushing Quinn's hair out of his face.

“It was a complete government takeover. Luckily when the drug first became mandatory large groups of people banded together, forming resistance groups. The government referred to them as purists, because they refused to sully their bodies with the drug” Rembrandt added.

“Is there anything the resistance can do to stop them?” Quinn asked, coughing as he spoke. Rembrandt was quick to his feet, exiting the small room.

“They will be intercepting a drug shipment this week, swapping the drugs with sugar pills. If anything, it’s because of you they even have this chance. If you hadn’t been captured and drugged, the professor’s double would have drugged Daelin and learned the resistance’s location almost immediately. A lot of people here are thankful to you, Quinn” Wade replied, moving her hand to his cheek.

He looked at her, his eyes filled with internal conflict. Rembrandt soon returned with a glass of water, setting it aside to help Quinn sit up, placing pillows behind him so he could lean back. Once he was comfortable he was offered the glass, gulping down half of it as soon as he got his hands on it. It was a good thing he swallowed when he did because he otherwise would have choked as he heard the voice from the doorway.

“In other words, Mr. Mallory, you saved these people. Because of sliding this world now has a chance,” Arturo said from the doorway, entering the room and stepping closer to Quinn, his voice loud but compassionate “Ms. Richards told us what you said to her. That you believe yourself to be a bad person, that you regret your inability to get us home. Hogwash, Mr. Mallory. You are the brightest pupil I have ever had the honor to teach! You are like a son to me. You have given me a family, one I cherish deeply.”

As he said this he gestured to Rembrandt and Wade, then turned back to him, continuing his speech before Quinn had a chance to respond.

“Not only that, but we have saved many worlds before. We brought a cure to the world ravaged by the Q. We stopped my evil double on the world where England won the Revolutionary War. On the world where you were trapped on the astral plane, you proved to Gillian's mother that she wasn't insane, and perhaps changed the ways of your father's corrupt double"

"Professor?" Quinn whispered, voice filled with disbelief and confusion. How was this possible? Was he dreaming, or perhaps still under the influence of the drug? This couldn't be the evil double he met before, he knew too many details of their past slides. Not only that, Rembrandt and Wade looked comfortable around him.

"When we first landed on the world with the Azure gate bridge my double was bitter. He tried to steal credit for your invention, the swine, yet recently he took a bullet for you. Why do you think that is, Mr. Mallory? It's because he grew to care for you, for all three of you! You traveled together, protected each other, loved each other. You changed his life in such positive ways. He may have died, but he died protecting a family he grew to love, rather than dying on his home Earth, bitter and alone. Because of you, he has a family, one who will love and remember him always."

Quinn's heart was pounding in his chest, his breathing much sharper than before. They took the wrong Arturo when they left the world with the Azure gate bridge! He felt elated at the unexpected news yet intermixed with the unimaginable joy Quinn felt a small portion of betrayal. The other professor lied, tricked them into abandoning a friend in order to steal his invention when they reached Earth prime.

Despite this, he still felt a great sadness at his loss. What the professor said was true. While he might have lied at first, he grew to love them, and they loved him. He died for him, in his dying breath asking him to get the others home. No matter how things may have started between them he was, and always would be part of their family.

Arturo was much closer now, sitting on the bed beside Quinn as the two looked at each other. With a fatherly smile, he reached over, placing a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"Mr. Mallory…. Quinn, if I had died on that world, I would have died for a family who loves me. I would have no regrets, nor would I hate you. You've brought so much good to the multiverse because of your timer. No matter what comes tomorrow, do not blame yourself for what you've done. None of us do, nor would we ever."

"He's right, Quinn," Wade quickly agreed, "I wouldn't change my decision to slide, even knowing we wouldn't be returning home. We've helped so many people, changed so many worlds, and it's all thanks to you."

"I know I began this journey as an unwilling participant but I wouldn't change what happened to me either. The three of you are the closest friends I've ever had. We may have been lost, but we always had each other. No matter what comes next the three of you will always be my family" Rembrandt added.

Quinn looked between them, moisture forming in his eyes not only due to the kind words from his friends but due to the professor's unexpected return. He never would have imagined it possible, yet here he was. Leaning forward Quinn wrapped his arms around the professor, burying his face in his shoulder as he cried.

Seeing this Arturo returned the gesture, holding the boy as he released the pain and self-hatred he held so tightly since his doubles death. After a few minutes, Quinn finally leaned back, reaching up and wiping at his eyes.

"How...how did you find us?" Quinn asked, voice still raw with emotion.

With a smile Arturo fished the timer from his jacket pocket, offering it to Quinn.

"After your departure, I explained the situation to the Mrs. Mallory of that world and she allowed me the usage of her son's basement…."

* * *

After explaining how he found them and emotions began to calm, Quinn once again felt the after-effects of the unwanted drug. Needing more sleep the three friends left him alone, preparing for the next slide.

One useful feature of the professor's new timer was the ability to open the gateway at any time. They agreed to transfer the Egyptian timers Coordinate storage and wormhole tracking upgrades when Quinn was feeling well enough to assist in the process.

Wade sat in a chair off to the side, watching as resistance members rushed back and forth between their many daily tasks. As she spotted April taking a seat beside her she turned to her with a smile.

The poor girl had been through a lot, so much that Wade wasn’t sure how she even survived it. Having to smile, laugh, act happy all the time, sounded insanely stressful. But that wasn’t the worst of it, she had to laugh as her grandmother died. Her heart ached, thinking back to the professor's double. She couldn’t have watched him die with a smile, let alone laughing. April must have a strong spirit to handle the things she did for so long.

“So, um, do you really come from a parallel Earth?” April asked, not looking up at her as she spoke. She looked afraid even now, refusing to match her gaze. Slowly Wade placed a hand over hers, the young girl flinching slightly but not pulling away, “I know I saw two Quinn’s, and you said Dr. Arturo wouldn’t hurt me. A lot of the resistance members think of your Quinn as a hero, and the resistance leader Quinn claims you came here from another Earth. I um, I’m sorry if these questions bother you”

“No sweetie it's okay, you're not bothering me. We do come from another Earth, we’re sliders. The Arturo and Quinn you saw with us are part of our group. That's why our Arturo would never hurt you, he isn’t the evil Doctor you know of on this Earth. He may look just as intimidating on the outside, but in truth, he’s a big softy” Wade replied.

April looked up at that, a skeptical look in her eyes as she processed the information. Wade imagined it must be hard for her to believe any version of the evil doctor infamous to this world could be sweet. Suddenly her eyes seemed to light up.

“You mean like in Star Trek?”

She sounded almost excited, causing Wade to smile wider at the young girl's enthusiasm. She could still see traces of the earlier fear, but it seemed to be able to discuss the things she loved brought about some sort of reprieve.

“In the original series Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura are accidentally beamed to the Mirror universe due to an ion storm. There they learn everything is different, and that they have evil counterparts in that Universe who switched places with them. In The Next Generation episode, Parallels, Worf accidentally travels through a Quantum Fissure, which causes him to travel to many parallel Enterprises where he meets parallel versions of his friends.”

“Well, I suppose it’s something like that, yeah. But we travel using a wormhole created by a device we call the timer. My Quinn invented the original” Wade replied.

April looked more excited, grabbing Wade's hands and squeezing them.

“Please, you have to tell me about your adventures. I’ve always found things like this fascinating. To meet travelers from a parallel Earth, it's mind-blowing!” April said.

“I’ll tell you more about sliding if you tell me more about Star Trek” Wade replied, wanting to keep the girl's spirits high. After everything she’d been through, having to hide her true feelings, unable to talk genuinely with someone, fearing even a momentary slip up could cost her everything, the poor girl needed this.

“Deal!”

* * *

As the door to his office opened Dr. Arturo looked up with a satisfied smile, watching as four police officers entered the small room. The one on the right had an injection prepared, very good indeed.

"I take it the filthy purists are ready for interrogation?" He asked, preparing to stand as two of the officers approached him, grabbing his arms and forcing him back into his seat. To his horror, the third approached and began to roll up his sleeve.

"What the devil do you think you're doing?!" He yelled, his voice filled with panic as the fourth officer holding the needle approached.

"We know you are working with the purists, doctor. We are only doing what we must to wipe them out once and for all" the third officer giggled.

Arturo's face morphed into one of panicked terror. Struggling against the three officers holding him down he could do nothing as he felt the needle pierce his skin.

"Stop! I'm not working with those fools! I am Dr. Maximillian Arturo! I created the blasted drug! I said stop! Stop! Stop!!!"


	8. Chapter 8

"This is so cool!" April said, practically beaming as she leaned over the workstation, watching the two men transfer parts and upgrades into the professor's timer. Quinn just smirked over at her, pointing at a specific part as he spoke.

"You see this here? This is one of the many safety parameters installed to ensure safe travel. This particular part is called the densitometry circuit. It prevents us from exiting the gateway into walls or solid objects"

She looked at it in awe, her expressions reminding Quinn of the first time Wade saw his sliding equipment. He recalled the words 'bat cave' and couldn't help but laugh to himself.

"Yes, and this part here was invented by myself and Mr. Mallory's double. We call it the Quantum Scanner. It allows us to scan the multiverse for Quantum Signatures that match our own"

She smiled up at him, and feeling his heart melt a little Arturo smiled back. He was thankful that she no longer feared him, thankful to Wade for explaining the situation to her. This young girl did not deserve the terror and stress forced upon her young shoulders and he did not want to contribute to that, even unintentionally.

"What are the two of you doing?" April asked, clearly interested in anything they were willing to share. Arturo turned to regard her as he replied.

"Well you see, Ms. Collins, it would seem Mr. Mallory's timer received some recent upgrades that mine does not possess, such as the ability to track wormholes or store dimensional coordinates. Seeing as my timer contains the Quantum Scanner and can open wormholes at any time, we agreed it made the most sense to transfer the upgrades to my timer."

"Don't forget your timer contains a higher quality laser-based geographic-spectrum stabilizer compared to the inferior sonics-based stabilizer Logan put in our original timer," Quinn added.

"This really is like Star Trek," April muttered, "what's the difference between the two?"

"The laser-based stabilizer has a short range of 2 miles, ensuring we always land in San Francisco. The sonics-based stabilizer has a much larger range of 400 miles, meaning we could land anywhere between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Several times in the past few months we landed in the middle of nowhere" Quinn replied.

She nodded, watching in silence as she worked up the nerve to ask them one more question.

"Um, I was wondering, whenever you plan to leave, would it be okay if I watched you slide?" April asked nervously.

"You can activate the timer, if you like" Quinn replied, smirking at her once more.

For a moment she looked shocked, then the biggest smile the two men had seen so far stretched across her face. Her eyes lit up like stars.

"Really?" She asked breathlessly.

"Of course" Quinn answered, chuckling at her excitement and turning back to work on the timers.

* * *

After completing the parts transfer and rebuilding the timer, Quinn and his friends spoke with the resistance leader, offering to assist in any way possible before they slid. The following two weeks flew by, the sliders helping in intercepting several drug shipments. Slowly, people in the area began to realize what had been done to them. Quinn’s double received news from several other resistance groups around the united states, each stating that they too were successful in intercepting the drug shipments.

Now, Quinn and his friends stood across from the recently reunited Collins family, Quinn’s double and Daelin standing a respectful distance away to watch them depart. Turning to her new friends April approached them, hugging each of them.

“Thank you for everything” she whispered, Wade, reaching down to return the embrace. Quinn knelt down next to her, offering her the professor's timer. Taking the device Quinn walked her through the activation process, her eyes lighting up once more as a swirling blue vortex opened across from them.

As the others began jumping into the vortex, Quinn fished the Egyptian Timer from his jacket pocket, slipping it into April's hand as he took the professor's timer back. As she noticed the Egyptian timer in her hands her eyes widened in disbelief.

“It doesn’t work anymore, but I figured you might want to keep it,” Quinn told her, smiling as happy tears began to fall from her eyes, “Who knows, one day you might fix it and become a slider yourself. Just don’t open the gateway early, or you’ll end up like us!”

“Awesome?” April questioned, causing Quinn to laugh.

“Lost, but I suppose awesome fit’s in just as well. If anything, make sure you have a Quantum Scanner before you ever enter the gateway, just to be safe. I bet you could figure it out!”

Grinning he got back to his feet, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked over to his double and Daelin. Both watched the gateway in awe, turning to him as he waved his goodbyes. Patting April's shoulder, he turned and leapt into the vortex, ready for another adventure with his sliding family.


End file.
